Everything you need to know before playing golf in Lanzarote. A complete guide.
Lanzarote is a hugely popular holiday destination for European travellers. The sunny climate is perfect year round, the Summer heat is cooled by the "Alisios" winds which then die down in September to leave a constant mid twenties climate in Winter. Now I've previously been to Lanzarote on a family holiday, I've been lots of times during Ironman triathlon training, but this is the first time I've been as a golfer, so I was extra excited this time around!!
Golf On Lanzarote Is A Miracle
Before we get all serious about golf on the island, it's very important to set the ground rules. Lanzarote is a totally volcanic island, covered head to toe in molten basalt rock, with about 15-20 days rain all year, so just the creation and maintenance of two golf courses on this tiny island in itself is a MIRACLE!! If its your thing to get all high and mighty about course design or a blade of grass out of place here and there, you can pull your head in and leave this article right now!! This is a different type of golf, a different challenge, an adventure, good shots are rewarded, bad shots shred your balls with jagged basalt rocks!! Seve Ballesteros used to come here to fine tune his game, and that's good enough for me!!
Flights
Flights to Lanzarote are very frequent. I flew Ryanair from Dublin to Terminal 1 César Manrique Lanzarote airport for about €350 and it took four hours. Pretty much everywhere on the island can be reached in a couple of minutes in a taxi, they're highly regulated and incredibly honest.
Golf Clubs/Equipment
Some of our gang brought their own clubs, but I rented my set. To be honest I think rental sets are best for golf in Lanzarote (mine were lovely TaylorMade SIM's) and here's why. If you hit the fairways and greens you'll be fine, but if you miss them, and you will, you'll be playing your shot off molten lava, or black pebbly sand from the bunkers. So with rental sets you don't have to worry about the danger of iron on rock, and they usually add an extra club to be used for "very" rocky shots where dinges could happen!
Where To Stay
You can stay at literally hundreds of quality places in Lanzarote, but I'm going to give you a couple of places with five star class.
In Puerto Del Carmen: Villas Alondra
If you have a number of people together stay at Villas Alondra in Puerto del Carmen where you'll be greeted by Esti. They are classy small houses in a beautiful gated community, each with their own pool. There's also a lovely restaurant area with a pool and bar, and it's located on the edge of the town, totally away from the hustle and bustle, yet a 5 minute walk down to it. Villas Alondra is huge on impeccable service and everything has that touch of excellence.
In Costa Teguise: Paradisus by Meliá Salinas Lanzarote
Paradisus by Meliá Salinas Lanzarote is probably one of THE nicest you will ever stay in!! It's adults only and what's termed a “Destination Inclusive® Luxury Resort.” That doesn't just mean all-inclusive as we know it with regards to food, but a concept which means you have access to a whole range of experiences and activities around the hotel and the island as a whole. With Cesar Manrique touches and art throughout, it's superb.
Thanks to Virginie Corthals for showing us around, and treating us to a lovely midday snack!
The Golf Courses
Lanzarote Golf near Puerto del Carmen
Lanzarote Golf is a fun golf course overlooking the Atlantic Ocean where you can grip it and rip it off the tees and if you're playing well you can really score. I loved the novelty of the punishing rocky areas and the black bunkers, and the unpredictable lies if you're crooked, but there's always a way back into play though.
The pace of play will be quick, which is a dream for me as an Irishman, you'll "fly around" as we say! Layout wise, the front nine is more open, and then there's a couple of architecturally really lovely holes on the back nine.
The greens are priority number one of the new manager Cisco, and he'll soon have them running like Augusta, which will add another nice dimension to the course!!
The clubhouse, the pro shop, the restaurant and facilities in Lanzarote Golf are better than 90% of courses I've ever visited. They're new, they're spotless, the pro shop with Camilla has really classy stock, and the food we had in "La Honorable" restaurant, with its setting overlooking the course, is just incredible.
So go there, enjoy your golf, but don't be in any rush home. Leave a couple of hours after to eat, drink, relax and enjoy the clubhouse.
Costa Teguise Golf Course
Just up the hill (that I've cycled many times!!) from Costa Teguise is Costa Teguise Golf course. This course is well established over 40 years and there's an old school rustic charm to the place.
Oh my God everyone was so friendly here from the caddymaster who set us up like royalty with clubs, balls, tees and buggies and greeted us again after with a lovely smile. He shook hands with all of us, and it's little things like that, that leave you with a lasting fond impression.
Costa Teguise Golf Course itself is a really sound test. The holes are well framed by palm trees and when the wind blows, it can play tough. No wonder so that Seve himself used sneak over here for a week or so, to fine tune his game before playing in the big events around the World. There is lots of choice when it comes to tees to play off, so you can make it as fun or as tough as you want out there.
After the round we were met by Esperanza and Jesús who told us more about the course and upcoming events. Esperanza was proudly telling us her son holds the course record!! Such incredibly friendly people you'll go a long way to meet, and their love for the golf course and their work was so apparent in their enthusiasm.
I guarantee you, if you play either Costa Teguise Golf or Golf Lanzarote or both, it's the people you'll remember as much as the golf. And that, to me, is everything.
What To Do When You're Not Golfing
Now there's a hundred things to do in Lanzarote apart from golf so here are just a few things I'd recommend.
1. ‘Jameos Noche’, in Jameos del Agua.
The setting will blow you away! You're underground in a cavern created by lava flowing down from a volcano to the sea. One of the many creations worked on by artist Cesar Manrique, this setting will blow your mind!!
By day it's beautiful, but by night it's even cooler!
Jameos Noche has you eating dinner in a dark cavern beside a crystal-clear lagoon with live music playing on the other side with people perched on the layers of rock listening. The contrast between the raw volcanic rock and Manrique’s artistic touches will knock your socks off!
2. Monumento al Campesino
Another of the works of Cesar Manrique near San Bartolomé, la Casa-Museo del Campesino, is a lovely museum dedicated towards the efforts of the island's farmers. Back in the day, the conditions on Lanzarote were so tough to live in, it's hard to fathom.
I was fascinated by one stone device the locals used to filter sea water to make it drinkable. The first desalination plant in Lanzarote was only opened in 1964.
The other really standout agricultural feature you'll see is the fields in Lanzarote, are all covered with little black stones, and it's actually thanks to their ingenious ability to soak up humidity from the air in their pores, and transfer it to the soil, that makes things grow in this most inhospitable of growing environments.
3. Stratvs Winery in La Geria.
Touring Stratvs winery is a great experience. You have the unique charm of Lanzarote's winemaking tradition in an incredibly modern, classy and picturesque facility. Being Irish, the highlight, was of course, was the wine tasting with our guide Cynthia! I'm no expert but I remember the local grape variety MalvasÃa Volcánica, and the amazing white wines produced from it.
4. JardÃn de Cactus (The Cactus Garden)
Designed again by César Manrique, he must have been the busiest man ever in Lanzarote, the Jardin de Cactus is an old quarry he transformed by planting over 4,500 cacti of 450 different shapes and sizes. It’s a living sculpture well worth popping in to see for a coffee.
5. Visit Teguise
I'm biased because I've stayed in Teguise whilst Ironman training (Lanza is an amazing sports destination), but this is a beautiful village. It was the capital of the lordship of Lanzarote and has that 18th century appearance to the present day. The buildings are all coloured pristine white and you can stroll around the quiet cobbled alleys or hike up to the castle on the hill. The restuarants in Teguise are all top class, you're far away from the tourists on the coast. Except for on Sunday mornings where the village plays host to a huge market!!
Fine Dining
If you're looking for a "special meal" I'll give you two places.
Dunas de Famara
The "other side" of Lanzarote is Famara, and with its white sandy beach, it's a surfers paradise. Restaurante Dunas de Famara is located in a prime spot along the beach with great views of the Risco de Famara cliffs and La Graciosa across the water. The restaurant is fine dining with those fine views. It's a treat.
Kentia Gourmet Club in Costa Teguise
Thanks to Dasa for meeting with us in the restaurant.
So there you have it, Lanzarote is a very special place, both to locals and visitors alike and with two golf courses like no others you'll find in the World, it's close to my heart too.
And finally thanks to Turismo Lanzarote and our amazing guide Onelia Alvarez for adding that extra bit of class to our trip. Onelia, you have the patience of a Saint!!
And finally finally thanks to European Golf Travel and Media and President Jo Maes for inviting me to part of this trip.
Please follow GolfCentralDaily on facebook and feel free to message me there. Here's my little video compilation of my Lanzarote golf trip.
COMMENTS